> Punctuation is Dying

Punctuation, online at least, is dying. It’s so badly misused that it’s a rare occasion when I can catch up on my feeds without flinching at some of the horrendous punctuation. The worst part of it all is that nobody seems to notice this gradual decline; or care. I fear it may be the latter.

Before I proceed any further and before any accusations of misplaced arrogance, I’d like to make it clear that I concede to being as guilty as anyone else on occasion. I’ll litter commas throughout text with complete abandon, I’m as scared as anyone else of the semicolon and I’m forever mixing double and single quotation marks. That said, my failings pale in comparison to some of the atrocities I see on a daily basis; and I, at least, am aware of them.

The problem, I think, is that people have begun to forget the importance of punctuation. Traditionally, reading a book - or any printed word, for that matter - is a rather involved process. As you read, you are listening to the words in your mind. The book remains static in your hands; on your lap; on the desk; forcing you to move your eyes to each consecutive word. Knowing the arduous process the book has been through - editing, proof-reading, typesetting, etc. - instills a sense of trust in the words before you; someone put a hell of a lot of work into making this book, just for you. The cost of books also instills pride of ownership.

But now, with the popularity increase of digital media, all this goes out the window. I don’t own the words I read online, I’m merely a guest; it’s impersonal. When reading words published online, my eyes remain static as each line scrolls past my eyes. Online publications are ephemeral. Where a printed book has been through an arduous editing process, I can publish whatever I want online, completely unmediated, safe in the knowledge that I can edit it as and when necessary. And, of course, I don’t have to pay for the privilege of reading your poorly punctuated words.

And thus, punctuation (and most other good writing practices) go down the drain.

Truman Capote said once, of Jack Kerouac, “That’s not writing, it’s typing”. It’s becoming clear he may have a valid point. Online publications are becoming a whole different medium (”Netspeak”?) to writing; part speech, part writing.

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve corrected someone’s punctuation (more often than not, it’s apostrophe-related) in an instant message or on a blog entry and received a response along the lines of “Who cares?” No one seems to have any pride in their writing (or typing) anymore and it irks me. Are we all seriously happy to just let punctuation die?

Lest I give the impression that problem lies solely online, the problem is just as present back in the physical world. The hyphen is a good example.

Did you know that Woodrow Wilson claimed the hyphen to be “the most un-American thing in the world”? An ironic choice of wording, don’t you think?

Anyway, hyphens are rapidly falling out of favour. This is most obvious in the case of my surname. I am the proud owner of a double-barreled, hyphenated surname; Dunlop-Walters. I remember a time, maybe ten years ago, maybe sooner, when, if I was in a situation where I had to speak my full name over the phone, I would frequently be asked “Is that hyphenated?” To which I would somewhat abashedly reply, “Yes. Yes it is.”

But ten years later, however, it’s a whole different kettle of fish. They don’t bother asking anymore, I have to tell them. In the past where I’ve omitted the clarification, I’ve often received letters addressed to “Richard Dunlopwaters” (Forgetting the “L” is a common mistake, too) or “Richard Walters”, where they’ve assumed the “Dunlop” to be a middle name.

But it’s not all hyphens. There’s more confusion surrounding semicolons than there is surrounding Area 51; commas are frequently and grossly abused, used either in excessive moderation or just plain excessively; exclamation marks and italics are wildly overused.

Exclamation marks are an interesting one, actually. They are supposed to be used to denote “delight, indignation, joy, rage and other feelings” but more often than not, they’re so overused that all they manage to denote is a lack of talent in conveying the appropriate tone. There’s a particularly apt H. W. Fowler quote relating to the use of exclamations:

An excessive use of exclamation marks is a certain indication of an unpracticed writer or of one who wants to add a spurious dash of sensation to something unsensational.

But I have neither the time nor the inclination to examine every single situation in which bloggers are ruining the art of punctuation. Instead, all I will ask is that you at least try a little harder than you are at the moment (and I’ll probably publish a few entries like the Apostrophes one, too; but let’s pretend this isn’t that much of an obsession for now). The English language is beautiful; don’t let it just die.

Oh and because I’m generous, here are a few books on the subject that you could do worse than reading, should you wish to pursue punctuation any further:

• Bill Bryson, Mother Toungue: the English language
• Kay Cullen, Chambers Guide to Punctuation
• H. W. Fowler, The King’s English
• William Strunk and E. B. White, The Elements of Style
• Lynne Truss, Eats, Shoots and Leaves (Probably the more accessible of this list; certainly the most modern.)

You may scoff, claiming to either not care or have a perfectly good grasp on punctuation, but don’t knock it. I’ve read a few books on punctuation and the language in general in the last few weeks and I’m still digesting all the things I know now that I didn’t before; despite previously thinking of myself as more knowledgeable than most when it came to English. Go down to the library and take out Eats, Shoots & Leaves or the Chambers Guide; I guarantee you’ll learn something.

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News Source:
Punctuation is Dying | nostrich.net
A Crash Course in Apostrophe’s | nostrich.net

PS: Guilty As Charged.